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Thursday, March 10, 2016

Genius: The Life and Science of Richard Feynman by James Gleick - Book Review

I've often read about Richard Feynman,
the Novel Prize winning American physicist and mathematician, who's
noted both for his scientific achievements, his wit, and his
idiosyncratic behavior, but have avoided this biography, thinking
that a mind of such breadth and achievement in a field so mysterious
to me would not be something I would enjoy. But I knew it would
contain something to teach me. In Genius:
The Life and Science of Richard Feynman
by James Gleick, originally published by Random House in 1992 and
widely available in used and e-book formats (Open Road Media, 489
pages, Kindle edition $4.27) I found myself to be both fascinated and
entertained in coming to grips with a mind that searched for an
understanding of the universe alongside the likes of Newton and
Einstein.

While the science and mathematics in this fine book completely elude
me, the genius of the man as well as his faults, humor, and passion
for seeking and understanding of creation's deepest secrets shine
though as a result of Gleick's wonderful writing and ability to place
the un-undertandable into language, analogy, and metaphor to make
Feynman's work almost comprehensible, while the complex, difficult
man emerges in whole. As with other fine biographies, the reader
willing to become immersed within the character, comes away with a
deeper understanding of the subject as well as the self.

The outline of Feynman's life reveals a man born to secular Jewish
parents in Queens, NY in 1918 and raised in a slightly unconventional
family that valued seeking and problem solving. He attended public
schools where he quickly excelled in math and science, as well as
demonstrating a slightly skewed, always intellectually creative mind
that kept on grinding out ideas for the next fifty-some years. He
attended MIT for his undergraduate degree and Princeton to complete
his PhD. Throughout his academic career, from high school through
university, he was always recognized as having a mind forging beyond
others because of its unique flexibility and facility at finding
connections others did not see. His work on the Manhattan project,
building the atomic bomb, and later at the Cal Tech, where he was a
popular and dynamic lecturer were always groundbreaking. He shared in
the 1965 Novel Prize.

Beyond Feynman's superb academic work, including his ability to see
connections none had imagined before him, the interest in Feynman
remains strong because of his personal life and the personal side of
his professional life. Feynman had a quirky sense of humor, a wide
and varied sex life, loved Brazilian music and drumming. Feynman
married his highschool sweetheart Arline Greenbaum, who was ill with
tuberculosis at the time. The marriage was, apparently more spiritual
than connubial because of his fear of a pregnancy's risk to her life.
Their letters are models of love and devotion. After Arline's death,
he married twice more. One surprising, to me, element was Feynman's
participation, late in his life, in the investigation of the 1986
Challenger disaster. His research and insights proved that the
disaster, which cost the lives of seven American astronauts, grew
from NASA's concern for public relations which over-rode safety
concerns, causing the inevitable failure of the O-rings connecting
the stages to each other and leading to the crash. His work was
relegated to an appendix, where it received little notice.

James Gleick

However, the outlines of Feynman's life are not what makes Genius
such a wonderful book, nor are the accounts of his achievements in
mathematics and theoretical physics. There's another genius at work
in this book, too: the author James Gleick, recognized as “one of
the great science writers of all time.” Gleick has the ability to
find analogies and make relatively clear the extremely difficult and
abstract ideas Feynman expressed for the first time and then
developed from a theoretical base into living experiments and real
weapons. His lively writing maintains interest and challenges the
imagination. Gleick had access to original sources including
Feynman's letters to his wife and the reminiscences of his teachers,
fellow scholars, and former students from throughout his
well-documented career. In fact, fully a third of this book contains
footnotes and resources for other reading, so don't feel daunted by
its length. Gleick is the author of a number of other highly regarded
science books, and has been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize and
National Book Award three times each.

The Life andScience of Richard Feynman by
James Gleick was originally published by Random House in 1992.
Although it is twenty-three years ago, the book is still relevant to
today, interesting, and wonderfully readable. James Gleick is a
master researcher who turns his work into spun gold. In the end,
Richard Feynman comes alive through James Gleick's portrayal of him.
For anyone interested in science, scientists, or a great read, this
is a must-read book. It is available in all formats, new and used.
Recently, I've found Thrift
Books to be my go to source for used books in good condition.
This book is available through Thrift Books beginning at a cost of
$3.79. They have been completely reliable, and I recommend this
resource for people whose reading is done on a budget.

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About Me

With my wife Irene, I travel about 200 days a year to bluegrass events. On the road we live in a 26 foot travel trailer with out cat, Callie, our computers, books, and each other. I publish a blog called Ted Lehmann's Books, Bluegrass and Brainstorms and we maintain a YouTube channel which displays our own videos of bluegrass performances. It has been a surprising journey, which we began in earnest after my retirement. Join us we continue on it.

My You Tube Channel

You can see the full collection of videos I've posted by going to my You Tube Channel. Most videos are now being recorded by Irene.